Radončić held consultations with police directors: Great job done

(Patria) - BiH Minister of Security Fahrudin Radončić held a two-hour consultation with all police directors and commissioners in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The video conference was attended by directors of the BiH Border Police, SIPA, Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies, Service for Foreigners' Affairs, director of the FUP and director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, head of the Brčko District Police and ten cantonal commissioners. 

"Today, on behalf of the BiH Ministry of Security, I congratulated them on the outstanding job all our police forces, starting from the BiH Border Police to cantonal and entity police forces, have done to give our medical profession, and crisis headquarters, time to consolidate, to procure more and better equipment, and to respond to the crisis in their segment, which is now shifting from security to the health sector. 

We established an undisputed fact that BiH, as observed by our foreign partners as well, has reacted well to the crisis, not only in security but also in other segments of countering the coronavirus. 

A special emphasis of today's video conference was on how to prevent the virus from entering our police institutions and police stations, and what will be done if that happens. We currently have a situation where 72 police officers are in self-isolation. Practical scenarios were agreed upon on how certain teams will take over the duties of others if the virus enters the police force, and how certain facilities will be alternated. 

Also, the importance of maintaining the situation where the virus has not entered the migrant population and migrant centers, where we have more than 6,500 people, was highlighted. Thanks to the Service for Foreigners' Affairs,
which is doing an excellent job and conducting triage, it has not been allowed for newly arrived migrants to move from one canton to another, thus increasing the risk of coronavirus. 

It is up to us, namely the IOM, the Service for Foreigners' Affairs and others working with migrants, to try to maintain such a situation. I have been informed by some, the Federal or other level, that teams for combating cybercrime and spreading panic among the population have also been formed. Furthermore, teams for combating pharmaceutical crime have been established at the state level, with Interpol assisting us. I believe we will soon see our police officers with protective visors. These have been procured by police institutions from our domestic factories that have started producing these very important self-protection equipment," says Radončić.

He adds that he thinks that, in the entire situation, it should be noted that a downward trend in criminal offenses and traffic accidents has been observed, which is normal. 

"On this occasion, it was stated that all police structures will continue to be maximally responsible in their very important work, to compel people who do not want to respect the decisions of the crisis headquarters to do so and to be prosecuted. The BiH Ministry of Security will, in accordance with Article 11 of the Framework Law on Protection and Rescue, continue to coordinate all these tasks to the fullest extent and regularly inform the public about it," stated Radončić.